I Wouldn't Mind It At All
by WhereIsYourHeart10
Summary: "But she found that she wanted this life, with him." Elena is trying to adjust to her new life; Damon is trying to adjust to the new Elena. E/D. Complete.
1. Forever Is A Long Time

**Alright, based on the urging of my lovely readers, we have... dun, dun, dun, DUN!**

**The beginnings of an actual multi-chapter Elena and Damon story! So this is now the _first chapter_ of the fic, which will still be titled "I Wouldn't Mind It At All". Chapter two will be added very, very shortly. **

**Each chapter will be inspired by a particular song. This one's is still "I Wouldn't Mind It" by HeIsWe. **

**Enjoy! :)**

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She knew this was wrong. That the only thing she should be doing is running as fast as she could in the opposite direction. That her parents would have hated to see her this way. Her aunt and brother would be disgusted with her. Her friends would look at her in shame.

That once she started all this, there would be no going back. No do-over button to push, no way of looking over what was about to happen. She looked up at the moon above her, not missing the irony. _A full moon. How quaint for the horror story that my life has become. Or will be._

The only other person in the small clearing besides herself stepped closer, his eyes piercing. His look of amusement had long vanished, replaced by genuine curiosity. _He wants to know why I've chosen this._

She could barely explain it herself. She would be starting college in a little over a month. She had family and friends she cared for. A life in this small town, where she'd been born and raised. Everything to lose based on what she was agreeing to, asking of him.

The man took a few steps closer. "What made you accept my offer?"

She slid her leather jacket off, and dropped it to the grass below.

"I'm tired," she said simply.

She moved closer to him this time. He made no attempt to speak, so she continued.

"Of being alive, but not really living."

She sighed, stepped closer.

"Of waiting to die," she added softly.

He continued to bore his gaze into her own, standing as still as a marble statue in a cemetery.

She stopped her approach. Bringing herself up to her full height, she gripped her fists tightly.

Determination shone in her features as she finished.

"And I want forever. To experience, to taste, to _live._"

He sighed heavily this time, tearing his eyes from hers. His hands came up in front, as he gestured around himself. "You want this life... by yourself?"

Her beloved had fled weeks ago. He had changed drastically, after giving up on his eternal struggle. He had frightened her, more so than she had thought possible. His absence ached, but only in the sense that she knew he was no longer a part of her life. She didn't miss the love that they had shared.

"No." Her meaning could not be mistaken, because when his startled look swept over her, she was only looking back at him with respect, and all the lust that had been building inside her, and a quiet admiration.

She knew that he wanted her just as much as she had wanted him. She knew that forever by his side wouldn't necessarily be easy. But she also knew without doubt that he loved her. And that was enough.

His eyes softened, and he finally closed the short distance between them. They were inches apart when he took her hand with both of his own. He softly ran his fingertips over the soft skin. He could hear her heart beating steadily, and could feel the pulse of her life.

She was fragile in the sense that she was human, but stronger under the surface than very few knew. But he had known. He had despised her, lusted after her, protected her, and eventually loved her. And he had known all along that she would know him.

Taking her other hand and grasping them both, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek so lightly that it was barely a touch at all. He grinned his smirk when he heard her heart speed up slightly.

She smiled back at him warmly, fully aware that he knew the effect he had over her.

"I will protect you as long as you ask me to," he told her.

She swallowed, and looked down at their entwined hands. "And love me?"

"Always."

She brought her head back up, and their lips were inches from each other. She would barely have to lean forward. But she wasn't sure. _Interesting how I'm sure about damnation, but not sure about a kiss. _

Choosing to show her what she meant to him, he looked in her eyes, asking permission. She knew what he wanted, and decided that she wanted this one last time before the change. She looked at his lips, which he had opened slightly in anticipation. He took that as all he needed, and captured her mouth with his own.

The kiss was shockingly chaste, which surprised both of them. But he only allowed one passion to flow through him- the love he had found expectantly.

He broke the kiss in seconds, resting his forehead against hers.

"We'll have all the time in the world."

She simply smiled at him, and nodded. Removing one of her hands, she brought it to the side of his face. Slowly, she moved it down to his jaw line, and then finally to his neck. She tapped it with one finger, as if to say "_time's up_".

She felt him stiffen.

"Now, Damon."

Oh, she knew this was wrong. That any sane person would have never asked for what she was asking. But she found that she wanted this life, with him.

Knowing full-well that his blood ran through her veins, she grinned at him.

"See you on the other side, yeah?"

He sighed, but smirked anyway. "Of course, Elena."

He pulled the small bottle from his jacket pocket, and swirled it around in the moonlight.

"Bottom's up," he said sarcastically, but with an honest look in his eyes, he handed it to her.

She didn't hesitate to open the cap, and down the contents in one swig. She only had a minute or so now.

He gently lowered them both to the ground, and he pulled her into his lap, her back resting against his chest.

The poison made its way through her, and she slowly drifted out of consciousness with a smile.

_Forever is a long time. But I wouldn't mind spending it by your side._

**Hope I don't disappoint with chapter two. Reviews would give me encouragement to keep it going :)**

**Love and smiles, WhereIsYourHeart10**


	2. That Fire You Ignited

**Told you it wouldn't be long for chapter two! :D**

**Title and story inspired by "Ultraviolet" by the Stiff Dylans. All Rights Reserved to the Respective Owners.**

**Which includes me, seeing as this piece of writing is my own! Hope you like it!**

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* * *

_

_That fire you ignited  
Good, bad and undecided  
Burns when I stand beside it  
Your light is ultraviolet _

-Ultraviolet, Stiff Dylans

* * *

Everything was freezing, and burning at the same time. Her skin itched with an invisible fire, but it wasn't exactly hot. It was what she imagined being dumped into dry ice felt like. So entirely cold that it felt like a burn from a flame. Just like when she'd played in the snow when she was younger, ignoring her mother's pleas for her to wear gloves.

She couldn't focus on anything except the sound of her heart beating slower than it ever had. Somewhere in the back of her mind it registered that she was dying. She wanted to open her eyes to make sure that Damon was still there with her, but she had no control over her movements. _He wouldn't leave me anyway. _

So she kept fighting the ice burn. She kept trying to breath, even when it became harder and harder to inhale. Then finally, her heart was down to minimal beats, and weak ones at that. She could tell that it was time.

Then she stopped trying to breath, stopped trying to move, stopped trying to focus. She allowed herself to be pulled under the layers of pressure that she felt, like she was swimming in thick water.

Then she died.

* * *

The back of her throat burned. Her mouth felt completely dry, and she thirsted like someone lost in a desert. It took her a few moments to realize that she wanted something other than water.

_Blood. I want blood. _

Her mind was perfectly clear, and she could tell that she was awake fully. She just hadn't opened her eyes, or moved her body yet. She decided to try to focus on her surroundings.

She listened hard, and she could hear sounds more distinctly than she had before. Every noise was amplified. The ceiling fan above her. A car outside driving by. Floorboards creaking below her. _I must be in an upstairs room. Probably the Boarding House. _

_Well, enoughs enough. Time to wake up for real._

It was dark in the room. She smelled Damon's unique scent everywhere, and recognized his bedroom. She'd only been in here a couple of times. _I spent most of my time in another bedroom, down the hall... _

Sensing she was alone, she sat up, but surprised herself when she sat up entirely too fast. But unlike how it would have been as a human (the room spinning) her head felt clear, and she realized that she'd just moved vampire speed. _Vampire speed! Holy shit, I'm a vampire!_

She willed herself to move slowly this time as she brought her legs to the side of the bed. She wasn't quite sure about the speed yet, and she didn't want to try anything until she had practice.

Her eyes darted back and forth, and she took in everything within seconds. The moment her feet hit the floor, she could hear quick steps up the stairs and saw Damon open and close the door. Any human would have missed the action, so she wasn't as taken aback she had used to be when her heart had been beating. But it still unnerved her a bit, and she stumbled.

His hands took her shoulders carefully, and he steadied her. She took a deep breath, but it didn't really seem to matter. Then it surprised her when she came to the conclusion that she hadn't taken a single breath since she'd woken up. _I don't have to breath?_

Before she could form the question, he was smirking that smirk and asked, "Sleep well?"

"Um," she bit her lip. "Well, it wasn't pleasant."

He laughed dryly, shaking his head. "'Course not. Becoming one of the undead isn't supposed to be rainbows and butterflies."

She huffed. "Shut up."

He laughed again, but she cut him off sharply with her question from earlier. "I don't have to breath?"

Still with a crooked grin, he replied, "No. You don't _have _to. But its just kind of uncomfortable if you don't. Plus you're so used to it, its kind of a habit you keep."

All she could manage was a "humph" and an awkward smile. She wasn't sure what to do next.

"Did you dream?" he asked, suddenly serious.

The question caught her by surprise. "I... I don't really know for sure. I think I saw faces of people, but mostly just black."

"Who did you see?"

She sighed, but answered. "My parents. Bonnie." She hesitated, then continued. "Stefan. And you. A lot of you, actually. This might sound weird, but I felt, like, super-sensitive about your proximity. I think I wondered where you were a lot."

He laughed at her stumbling of words, but put his hand to the side of her face. He was warm on her skin, which was not what she had expected. _But I'm sure my body temperature has dropped now. So his touch would feel like a normal warm hand now._

His grin dropped away, and he looked at her questioningly. "How do you feel?"

She gulped, timid to admit the main feeling she had. But he waited for her answer, so she just told the truth.

"Thirsty."

He laughed uproariously then, and she couldn't help but giggle at the absurdness. Just a while ago, she mostly detested the idea of drinking blood. Now _she_ wanted to.

Calming himself, but still with a touch of laughter in his tone, he announced, "Well, my dear, follow me. I have some lovely crystal glasses and bags of O positive waiting for us!"

She laughed again, and he chuckled as he took her hand with his own. He led her to the door, opened it for her, letting her go through first. _Always a southern gentleman._

He then matched her stride, which she knew was extremely fast. _Vampire fast. _

She was slightly disturbed at the idea that she was anticipating her first meal as an undead, but she tried not to think about it too much. _It's not as if I'm going to kill anyone. Just going to use some borrowed, freely-given blood. Not that bad._

Damon took her hand then, and he took each step right beside her. She looked at him with a sidelong glance. She weighed everything that her life would now be. _On the good side, I will never be alone again. On the bad side, I'll most likely be drinking blood for the rest of my... existence. _But then she thought of living forever. And the idea slightly scared her. Would she ever grow tired of living? She decided to remain undecided on that fact.

Damon led her to the kitchen, and as she sat in the stools of the island in the middle, she studied him. He busied himself getting out the two glasses, and retrieving the two bags from the fridge. _I think I really do love him. And I know he loves me. Whatever happens... I have to trust he'll be there._

But then she thought of their words in the clearing.

"_I will protect you as long as you ask me to," he told her. _

"_And love me?"_

"_Always."_

So she would have him forever. Which was good enough for her. Besides, who else erupted a fire in her soul just by being near her? No one.

* * *

**So, dear readers, was it a total, complete let down and disaster? Or did you like it? Love it?**

**Let me know, please and thank you. :)**


	3. Anywhere But Here Without You

_I wonder, if maybe  
__Maybe I could be  
__All you ever dreamed_

-Anywhere But Here, Safetysuit

* * *

_The view is pretty good from up here, _Elena thought to herself. She could easily see for miles. _Vampire's definitely have more than twenty-twenty vision. _She laughed dryly, struck by the situation she had found herself.

After her first "meal", she'd been over-taken with strength, and then anxious to try it all out. With Damon at her heels, she'd run outside, and promptly raced to the middle of the woods in seconds. That's when she'd had the notion of climbing to the top of a pine tree. And she'd immediately done just that.

Balancing herself on a branch that protruded from the top of the tree, she looked back down at Damon, who was staring up at her with an amused expression.

"Enjoying the view?" he laughed out.

"I might ask you the same question," she teased back. She had on jeans and a plain black t-shirt, but she knew (_her spidey-senses were tingling_) that he was admiring her.

Less than a minute later, he was a few branches below her, making his way up beside her. She waited patiently for him to step onto the branch, and she just held onto the trunk.

"Who invited you up here on my branch?" she asked sarcastically, throwing one hand onto her hip for good measure.

He retorted back, "The better to see you with, my dear."

_Only he could quote a fairy tale and make it sound terribly naughty. _So she just laughed, and then he chuckled himself. His smirk was back in place when she finally faced him.

"I feel... amazing," she said simply, but not sure of her word choice.

He nodded, then stepped closer, invading her personal space. "I know what you mean," he said with a velvet voice, and she had to remind herself to stay put. Falling off a branch of a very high tree might not be very alluring.

The moon shone down on them, and she glanced at him, suddenly struck with an idea. Deciding that she wanted to test her own speed, she quickly thought of a plan. When he had turned his eyes away from her to the horizon, she quickly stepped forward. He didn't turn to look at her, and she prepared herself to make her move.

She kissed him softly on the cheek, and less than a heart beat later, she was climbing down. She landed on the ground from a few feet up, and then she was running again.

Running felt glorious to her. She had speed that would rival any sports car, and she was graceful. _Graceful! I can be graceful like this. And free. _

Her thoughts focused on the sounds of him following her. Her instincts were in tune, her body preparing for a chase, or a fight. She was laughing as she ran, blazing a trail of no serious direction. Just running further into the forest. Her eyesight was remarkably clear in the dark, and she was thankful for it.

He was chuckling behind her, no doubt letting her win by a little. _Older vampires are stronger, _she mused.

Up ahead she spotted a small stream, and her muscles tensed, ready to jump. She landed it in one sweep, and then she was giggling as he was beside her at that moment. She didn't see his movements until it was too late.

He was pulling her up over his shoulder (_just like a sack of potatoes, _she mused) and she wiggled and squirmed. Before she knew it, Damon was dumping her unceremoniously into the cold, winter-touched water. But as he tried to make his own escape, she tugged at his arms, and then he was in the shallows beside her.

They were both laughing, and she was splashing him. He growled playfully, and dunked her under again, but she tightened her grip on him, and they both went under. While she was beneath the surface, she spotted a deeper part of the stream, and she whooshed past him to it. He followed, smirking again, and then they were swimming, circling around each other.

She came up, her clothes soaked through. She bobbed on the surface, wondering where Damon had gone. Then she felt a tug on her legs, and he had pulled her under again.

When she finally made it back up, she breathed (_even though she had no need to_) and shouted, "Damon!"

Then he came up, and was shouting back with a laugh, "Elena!"

She splashed him again, and then turned her back on him, swimming to the small shore. She pulled herself up, and wrung her hair. As a human, she'd have been shivering with the intense cold outside, but it only felt slightly chilled. Her breath, though, came out in puffs, and she laughed that at least that hadn't changed.

Damon came up beside her then, and shook his hair, sending droplets of water all over her.

"Hey, you wet dog!" she playfully scolded.

Laughing, he said, "I wouldn't mind being _your _pet,"

"As opposed to whose?" she chuckled.

"Well..." and then his face became stony, and he was looking at the water, avoiding her gaze.

_Oh. _She knew exactly who he was thinking of. Elena refused to step around the unspoken name, so she just said simply, "Katherine."

He visibly winced, and she didn't miss it, now that she had sensitive sight; and well, sensitive everything else. (Including her heart, but she wouldn't ever admit that out loud.)

He just sighed then. "I didn't mean to..." He paused. "Compare."

Then it was her turn to sigh. "Of course you would think of her. I'm sure the two of you had days like this," She didn't want to hurt him, especially since he had surprised her with his sudden intensity.

"Not exactly," he whispered quietly, and she knew that she would have missed it before her change.

Trying not to seem wounded, she asked, "What's wrong?" She was scared for his answer.

He ran a hand through his still-wet hair, and then he was looking at her deeply. "It's just that I never imagined anyone else for a long time, Elena. And now, I guess I'm thinking that you might..." he trailed off.

Sensitive to his feelings, she realized what he couldn't say. Their connection would always be there now. His blood had changed her, and now she would forever be linked to him.

"Leave? Like she did?" she finished for him, her tone calm, not accusatory.

He only nodded, and she looked away. Staring off into the woods, she began playing with her hands as she spoke again.

"Do you still want her?"

The question caught him completely off guard, she could tell, and she could only imagine the worst. _He still loves her. He loves her more than he could ever love me. If he had the choice between us... _

But before Elena could finish the thought, he had pushed her flat on the ground, and was hovering over her. Her breath came out in a gasp, and his eyes were piercing and serious as he looked down at her.

"Years before my change, before I even knew Katherine, I wished for someone who would be able to see past all my defenses. As a human, I wasn't very different from what I am now. I blocked everyone. Then when I met Katherine, I thought that she was that someone," he finished softly.

Before she knew it, he was leaning closer, his breath hot on her ear. "But I was wrong. She only saw what she wanted to see in me. You see every part. The good, bad, and the ugly." He laughed quietly at the words. "And so, the answer- my dear, Elena- is no. I do not want her. _I want you_." The words brought an uncontrollable shiver to her spine, and she became hyper-aware of his close proximity.

All she had to do was move less than an inch, and she could capture his lips with her own. But Elena, though she wanted to, could not make herself lean up. So she willed herself as still as a statue.

He felt her grow still, and then he smirked. _Damn know-it-all smirking vampire!_

If her heart had been alive, she knew it would have been beating faster than a hummingbird's wings. She nearly scoffed at the image, but she had no other living thing to compare the sensation to. And she had it on good authority the effect Damon Salvatore had on her when she'd been human.

He laughed, but then he pulled himself off of her. He reached out his hand to help her stand, and they both brushed themselves off. She missed his lack of contact, but then was appeased when he grabbed her hand. His grip was firm and warm, and she held onto him, as if for dear life.

"You are my only dream now," he stated simply, his voice full of emotion. All she could do was look into his gaze, but then his half-grin returned. "Now, my love, is payback time."

And with that he kissed her fully on the mouth, but without time for her to respond, and pulled away. When she opened her eyes he was already gone, and she could hear laughing and running back towards the boarding house.

She sighed, but then giggled to herself. _His dream. _

Elena had no idea what she wanted to think of that, or what they were exactly, but she knew that they had plenty of time to figure it all out. And so she raced after him, and they played their own version of catch for a little while, until it was time for the sun to rise.

* * *

**What did you guys think of this one? Personally, it was very fun to write, so I hope it was fun for you to read! :)**

**-WhereIsYourHeart10**


	4. You Set My Soul Alight

**Okay you guys, the last chapter got more reviews than I expected, and I appreciated all of them. But they were definitely mixed, so I thought I would address what seemed to be common theme among them. ****Yes, Damon was acting a bit out of character. But you must realize that Elena had just turned! He didn't need to scare her off, especially when she was basically giving up all she knew for a life with him. Too much too fast would make any girl run for the hills!**

**But as you can see in this one, which is probably a month or so after the last chapter, time has passed. And there was definite building of tension between the two. So if you just hold on for the ride, I promise it will be all worthwhile ;)**

* * *

_I thought I was a fool for no one_  
_but oh, baby I'm a fool for you._

-Supermassive Black Hole, Muse

* * *

The hours were ticking away, and Elena could barely sit still. She was restless, itching to get out of the house. But unfortunately, without a ring like the one both Salvatore's always wore, she couldn't leave in the day. So she was stuck inside, with Damon god knows where.

She'd taken up residence in a bedroom just down the hall from his, and at the moment she was pacing the floor, no doubt wearing a hole into the rug. Which wouldn't exactly surprise her. _Could I wear a hole in the rug by just walking across it? I can snap a tree in half if I'd like... _

"Hmm," she mused aloud. Something she'd have to ask Damon later. She'd already broken the shower curtain rod earlier (_by accident_) and having to call Damon in to fix it for her, as she stood awkwardly by in a towel, had been humiliating to say the least. She could still recall the way his eyes raked over her body, and how his comments had suddenly had double meanings to all of them.

Which should not have surprised her by now. But that didn't stop her from blushing then, and even blushing a bit now. She'd ate hours ago, and she was suddenly feeling like she could eat again. Which wasn't a good thing, since she was fairly certain they were running low on the plastic bags in the fridge.

So she continued to pace, and fret, trying to control the urge to jump out the window, which would only be suicide for her.

Then her steps halted immediately when she heard the distinct sound of rhythmic beating. _A heart beat. _She could tell that's what it was, because then when she listened, she noticed the sound of blood flowing, rushing through the veins of a human.

Her eyes grew dark, and she knew that the veins beneath them had emerged. Her fangs protruded.

_It would take no time at all to kill whoever was downstairs, knocking on the front door. Seconds to be in front of them, a second to rip into their throat... _

_NO! I will not kill an innocent person. I can't. I won't be able to stop myself._

And she knew that the last thought was completely true. So she simply walked over to her four-poster bed, and gripped the headboard with all she had in her. She gripped it so hard that her fingertips had already made impressions. The thirst nearly over-whelmed her, it was running through her like lightning.

Elena didn't even notice the sound of voices, followed by the opening and closing of the door. She was holding onto the headboard as if it were for dear life. But not for her own, but for whoever had had the misfortune of knocking on the Salvatore Boarding House that day.

She was rocking back and forth, gritting her teeth, bringing blood to spring up in her mouth. Her dead heart didn't beat anymore; but somehow she still had blood flowing through her. She heard cracking then, and the wood began to fall apart in her hands. The roaring in her ears drowned out all other noises, and with the cracking of the wood, she felt her resolve cracking too.

The human heart was beating not far from the front door- they'd only been walking away for a few seconds. She could just stand at the door, and beckon whoever it was inside. They would listen to her; her voice would give them no choice. _So easy. So simple._

Then she sprang from the bed, and was down the stairs in a blur, already turning the knob when another sound caught her off guard.

"Ahem," came a strong male voice behind her. "Going out?" he asked in a voice full of sarcasm.

She whirled, and he took notice of her eyes and teeth, before stepping towards her, his face unreadable, but that damn smirk still in place. "You do know the sun's still out?"

Elena coughed, trying to compose herself. She felt guilty, but she couldn't help but count every step the human took away from the door. When she finally heard a truck start up and pull away, she breathed out. Then she felt her eyes go back to normal, and her fangs were gone again.

Damon simply stood there with a bemused expression, looking all the while like someone who'd caught a child with their hand in the cookie jar.

She wasn't sure what to say, so she just decided to avoid his gaze. "Where the hell have you been? I nearly killed that person!"

He stepped closer, and he cocked his head to the side. "Oh, so you missed me? Well, if you wanted me so badly, I suppose I could make it up to you." The words were full of lust, and she looked into his eyes again, not quite sure if she liked what she saw there. His eyes held amusement, but most of all- a promise. A promise of passion.

Which unnerved her. That he could take the most unserious of moments, and suddenly remind her of the rope they were balancing on. They would eventually have to fall one way or the other.

"Don't be stupid. I'm hungry!" she growled out.

His eyes never wavered from the emotions that he was basically shooting out to her. "For _what?_" The question was loaded, and she just shook her head.

"Blood, Damon," she just answered tiredly.

He chuckled, then pulled a cooler that she had noticed before from behind him. "Oh, _that. _Well, here's a lovely donation from the local blood bank." He turned and headed to the kitchen, not sparing a glance behind him. He knew that she would follow.

And follow she did.

He set it down on the counter, and turned toward her, sweeping his arms around the spacious room. "How would you like it?"

She groaned, but said, "Microwave. And must everything you say sound so... sexual?"

She regretted the choice of word when he grinned wolfishly then, and chimed out, "Now, why would you bring that into this conversation? I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. And if you wanted something, Elena, all you had to do was ask."

That stupid smirk was beginning to grate on her nerves, but she loved it just the same.

And then the microwave dinged, and she rushed around him to get to it.

"Patience!" he chided her, but he didn't stop her from getting the bag out, and then supplying her with a mug. She barely waited to pour the blood in before she was gulping it down. Her veins popped out, her eyes darkened, and her fangs extended. Again.

"You were a hungry child, weren't you?" he teased, looking at her with his intense gaze.

She finished the cup then, and she didn't bother to wipe the blood from her lips. "Hungry, yes. Child? No. I am _not _a child."

He only looked her, expression mostly unreadable, besides the way the corners of his lips twitched, like he wanted to smile. He kept serious though, when he whispered, "Yes. I know."

Elena wasn't sure what he was thinking about. But she certainly liked the way he was looking at her then. Admiration definitely shone in his features; but this time, it wasn't just physical admiration. It was genuine, appreciative, and she was glad to be with him then.

"Where have you been?" she managed.

"Well, I was busy acquiring a gift for you, actually." And then he pulled out a small, velvet-covered box.

_Is that...?_

"A ring?" she asked, her voice catching.

He simply pushed it across the counter top to her, his eyes gaging her reaction carefully.

She cleared her throat then, and opened the box carefully, not daring to believe.

But then... it wasn't what she'd expected. It was set in a simple silver band, with a swirling pattern around the stone. The stone was what surprised her. It was a _lapis lazuli _gem.

_Of course it had been stupid for me to think it was... _She could barely think the thought.

"Oh," she ground out.

His eyes danced then, and he actually laughed. "What? Were you expecting... something else?" He got up from the stool across from her, and came to stand right beside her. He leant down, until his mouth was right beside her ear.

She recalled that day by the stream, when everything had been less... heavy. This dance between them had always been there; but lately, with her being stuck in the house all day, it'd become more pronounced.

Hot breaths touched her ear, almost caressing. Then he spoke, and the words made her shiver.

"Not quite yet, love. We still have _so much _to learn about each other."

And then he leant even closer, and inhaled the scent of her hair. His nose brushed her cheekbone as he pulled away, and she couldn't begin to explain to herself why it made her want to jump his bones.

Obviously, she had to shiver again; and obviously, he had to point it out.

"Imagine what I could make you do when I was intentionally hoping to have you react?" His voice was dripping with sex, and it sounded husky to her own ears.

_She couldn't let him control her this way!_ So Elena turned, catching him off guard, and looked directly in his eyes.

Their faces were mere inches apart when she whispered just as huskily, "Imagine," she licked the remaining blood from her lips slowly, "what I could make you do... _without_ trying."

His eyes were intense, and lust pooled in them deeply. But just as he began to lean forward, his eyes locking on her lips, she swiveled the chair back around, facing the counter.

She chimed out in a perfectly innocent voice, all of the earlier moments affects gone, "Thanks for the ring!" and she slipped it on her _right _ring finger.

The unmistakable groan, followed by a growl, made her want to laugh, but she had no time.

He had pulled her around, and her mouth was agape at the sudden turn.

His face was close to hers again, and she prepared herself for whatever attack he had planned. _I will hold strong against him_, she told herself. _I won't give him the satisfaction of any reaction. _

But then his lips were a breath away from hers, almost touching, and she closed her eyes uncontrollably. The electricity between them was monumental. She felt certain that if he touched her she would burst into flames. She longed to close the gap between their mouthes.

He whispers then, "Trust me when I say you _would_ be trying. Hard."

Then he pulls away (_damn him, making her lose!_) and he grins in utter triumph.

"We'll just have to see how much... some other time," he remarks flippantly.

And she knew he was right. This dance of theirs, the tightrope she always felt they were balancing on, would eventually end. And that whatever was happening between them... _that_ would be inevitable.

Elena was a complete and utter fool for Damon Salvatore.

She wasn't sure she was entirely comfortable with the idea.

* * *

**Oh, now my dears- you know the drill.**

**Review if this made you smile. Or frown. I hope it was the former! **

**:D**


	5. This Was Supposed To Be The Easy Part

**Readers, my lovely reviewers, and world- I bring you another chapter in my Damon and Elena story. I wanted to take the time and let you know that this chapter will resolve a few things with Stefan, and put Damon and Elena's relationship on the fast track (though a bit indirectly). So, I hope you enjoy, and here you go!**_

* * *

___

I'm finding out in the hardest way  
The consequence of every mistake I've ever made  
Baby what's it like to be alone?  
I don't want to know, I don't want to know.

-Bruised and Scarred, Mayday Parade

* * *

Stefan wasn't exactly sure what he'd expected when he'd come back to Mystic Falls, Virginia.

Maybe he'd entertained the notion of Elena broken, and depressed at his departure. Or perhaps she would have moved on, and started dating someone better for her; someone who didn't drink blood, preferably. And in his darkest moments, he realized that she may have placed her affections on his brother, who hadn't left town.

But what he hadn't expected was finding Elena in his living room, sprawled across the couch, reading what appeared to be _Don Juan. _Looking through the window, he could faintly smell the intoxicating scent that only she carried, along with his brother's strong one. The two were flowing together, one extreme fragrance.

This is when he came to the conclusion that she was here a lot- even more than before he'd left. She was a part of Damon's life now, and his mood became depressingly morose. _So history repeats itself._

He closed his eyes, trying to feel his brother. But there was no connection. They'd both always had a knack for sensing each other. And at the moment, Elena was alone. _It will be easier to talk to her first, that way._

Stefan was on the front porch in seconds, and then he hesitated. Should he simply walk in? Would he even be able to, if Elena lived there now? Should he knock? _Having to knock on my own front door, _he mused. _How ridiculous._

But he knocked anyway, three short raps, and he stepped back, his arms folded. He steeled himself, preparing for any anger or sadness Elena would have, trying to form words to explain his absence.

_I had to leave. To get "clean". So I didn't hurt you, again._

In his mind's eye, he pictured her tears, and then he pictured the two of them reuniting. Surely, their relationship hadn't died off completely. He could convince her to run away with him. He would turn her eventually, and they could live the rest of their days together. _Happily ever after._

But then the door opened, and his jaw dropped in complete awe at the woman standing before him. There was no heart beating in Elena's body. No rush of blood through her veins.

If he could have fainted, he most likely would have.

* * *

"So you _asked _him to _turn _you?" he demanded, his voice shaking. His hands were shaking as well, but in rage. _I'm going to kill him!_

She just sat in front of him, perched on the edge of the couch, not moving- in that way that only vampires could. She sighed, her head leaning slightly to one side. She peered at him, trying to read his expression.

"You _will not _harm Damon. This was my choice," she stated reverent, her jaw set firmly. "If you attack him, I will attack you."

The words were stated so calmly, he could hardly trust his ears. But the warning in them, the way her eyes promised every word, made him believe her. And then the feeling of _deja vu_ returned, sitting before her with her strong words. _Katherine._

"How do I know this isn't a trick?" he managed.

She seemed to know his exact train of thought, because she leant back then, and just smiled at him. The smile was genuine, and it caught him by surprise. _Which this whole afternoon had turned out to be._

"I am _not _her. Shall I prove it to you?" Then she paused, searching her memory, he supposed, before she started again. "When we first talked, I was coming out of the men's room at school, and we accidentally bumped into each other."

The corner of his mouth twinged, but he stopped himself from grinning. His girlfriend was undead! _Not the time to be smiling._

Then Elena smiled again, warmly. She laughed, and said, "And we officially met in a cemetery. Which may or may not be ironic, considering how the next few months played out."

Stefan was looking intently at her, searching her gaze. A small part of her longed to reach out for him, but she wouldn't do that to either of them. It had been over for her when he'd left them.

Reverently, he asked in a small voice, "So you and Damon... are together?"

This time _she_ was caught off guard, and she actually avoided his eyes. The truth was that she hardly knew the answer to that question herself. They'd had so many opportunities, and she lived with him, officially. They had kissed several times in the past few months; nearly gone even further. But every time they came close, she would pull away. Or run away, even.

She knew that what she was doing was probably cruel. But it had been only a few months since her change. And she wanted to be sure that her decision, when she came to it, was because she wanted no other. _Of course I want no other- anymore. _

But something always made her hold back. Then when she looked up at Stefan, his eyes not quite judgmental, but more solemn-toned, she came to the conclusion that what she needed to move on was for him to know. Maybe not for his blessing, but for him to know that's what she'd chosen.

Because she was _not _like Katherine. When she made her final choice... It would be set in stone.

She sighed then, and cleared her throat. "I'm not with him, actually. We both... want each other. But I held back all this time, because I refuse to not be sure of myself. I won't play either of you. History will not repeat itself." Her stern declaration reminded Stefan of what he had assumed earlier.

"I want you to know that I choose Damon." There was no apology in her tone, and she looked at him with serious eyes. Elena, finally, breathed a sigh of relief. She felt like she'd been holding her breath for months, and she admitted to herself that it had basically been that way. Always waiting, always feeling the pressure to not follow in Katherine's footsteps.

But she had been, would be able to do the one thing Katherine hadn't. Chose between the two, and devote herself fully. Elena would always love Stefan; but she loved Damon more.

Then it was his turn to sigh. "I see."

He made a move to leave, but she stopped him immediately. Her speed threw him, no doubt because he still hadn't grasped what she was.

"You shouldn't leave yet; Damon will be back. I'm sure he'd like to know that you are alright."

Her close proximity brought a new underlying scent to his nostrils. And what he smelt surprised him.

"Human blood?" His tone was accusing.

Her first instinct was to defend herself, so she let go of the hold she had of his wrist. But then she shook her head ever-so-slightly. She would not apologize for who she was.

"I have never killed any human." She looked at him, defiance shining in her features, and she actually laughed at him.

"Came close, of course. But Damon stopped me every time. And for your information, Damon and I are both in the process of switching to the animal diet. Right now, he and I are using the bagged stuff as a last resort. Like a nicotine patch, if you will.

But I am down to one bag every few days. I can be out with _them_, walking around, and I can actually handle it."

She sounded optimistic, and he knew that if anyone could do it, and make his brother commit to it as well, she could. So he relaxed his stance, and he went back to his seat. He longed to hug her, and the pang in his chest frightened him with how deep it ran. _But she's no longer mine, _he told himself.

"Where did you go?" she inquired, suddenly curious.

He chuckled, running a hand down the side of his face, then rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually, I ended up in a little town outside of Las Vegas. I shacked up in this abandoned cabin in the middle of the desert, with no contact to humans, and I weaned myself off of human blood. Much like you said you are doing. And then I 'got clean', and traveled for a little while."

His face grew serious, and his eyebrows knit together. "I missed you. And I owed you and Damon an explanation."

He leaned forward, his hands clasped together, as if he was stopping himself for reaching out to her. "I suppose I knew in the back of my mind that you could have moved on. That small part hoped... But, I'm glad that you are happy with yourself, and are solid in your decision. That is something Katherine could never, ever do." Admiration was in his eyes, and he stood up then, gesturing around him.

"I'd like to stay for a few days. But I think I'll travel some more when I leave. Try to..." _Move on. _"Find myself. Find some peace. Which you have; and I envy that."

"I'm sure you could stay for a few days," she replied, the ghost of a smile on her lips, but her eyes seemed a bit troubled.

Looking at her, he added quietly, "Don't worry. A few days tops. I'm hoping that Damon has found the peace that you have with everything. But if not, I'll leave as soon as he asks me to."

Elena only nodded, and looked sheepishly at him. "Make yourself comfortable... I mean, well, this is your house. But- oh, you know what I mean."

He laughed then, and she joined him. It was a bit absurd, how things turned out.

She grabbed her book that she'd been reading before, and quietly left the room, at a human pace, he noticed. Left alone, he sat back down, contemplating their entire conversation. She was happy here, he knew.

_She seems content, now. As if my arrival gave her freedom to live her life. Which is just like her, being concerned with how I would take her changes, plus her and Damon's relationship. Even though I was the one who had ran away... Which Damon didn't do. He didn't run, or try to hide who he really was. To Elena, to me, to anyone really._

Stefan had no choice but to admit to himself that Damon would be good for Elena in that way. And he knew that his leaving would have consequences. And though these were unexpected- though, at the same time, maybe expected- he would have to deal with them. It had been his mistake to leave.

Stefan waited patiently for the arrival for his brother, trying to prepare himself to give a blessing, though begrudgingly, but one that needed to be given all the same.

* * *

**I so appreciate all of my readers and those of you who favorite the story, but is it too much to ask for you to take a few seconds and review? Pretty please? :] *Makes big, pleading eyes at you***

**And thanks to those reviewers who have commented, and some even multiple times. You guys give me the energy and the encouragement to continue writing! Thanks! XD**

**Yours, WhereIsYourHeart10**


	6. When The Only One I Really Want Is You

**Well, hello my readers! Here is another chapter of my story- sorry I can't update as often as I'd like. **

**I hope you like it! :)**

* * *

_Well I passed the wishing well and I threw my penny in_  
_Sent a prayer on up above that you would come my way again_  
_Yeah I've seen some better days _  
_And in each one you were there _

-Valentino, Diane Birch

* * *

The only thing on Damon's mind as he pulled up to the Boarding House that evening was Elena. As he put his car in park, and turned off the ignition, he considered how his day had taken an interesting turn.

He'd met with an old acquaintance in a local park, a few miles away, earlier that day; and as he was waiting he noticed an elderly couple walking hand in hand down the paved path a few feet in front of him. The woman was obviously beautiful in her time, for he could still see the faint traces of smooth skin and sparkling eyes she held. The man was relatively normal looking- but their faces weren't what caught his attention.

They were grasping onto each other, and he was singing an old jazz tune to her softly. She was smiling, completely caught up in the moment. Then the woman joined in, and as their voices mixed together, they continually looked at each other, still walking along. His first instinct was to look away at this obviously private moment; it wasn't his fault that he had the super-sensitive hearing and eyesight.

But then all he could wonder was, _What was their story? How long had they loved each other? Had either of them ever loved someone else- or thought they'd loved someone else? Maybe she'd dated his friend; or his brother, even. What made them choose each other?_

He sighed, exasperated that his thoughts had again been swept away to things he would mock others for saying out loud. It was all Elena's fault of course. Every time he'd touched her, kissed her, held her, well, all he could think of was doing that forever, with her. And only her.

Which was completely not who he was.

Damon Salvatore did not commit. Damon Salvatore did not find himself moved by an old couple. He was no softie, nor was he a romantic. He was _not_ his brother.

His frustration with everything made him want to scream, and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel scared. He wanted Elena with every fiber of his being. And yes, it was a physical want (_more like a need _). But he also couldn't deny to himself in those quiet moments in the mornings, when the two of them just sat in companionable silence, side-by-side reading the paper, that he wanted her for himself. To spend every morning for the rest of his life (_or after-life _) having their mornings together.

And their afternoons. And their nights.

This time, he couldn't stop the growl that escaped him. _If only I'd met her first! She's only holding back because of my brother, the bunny-killer._

But when Damon crossed the threshold of his house, his thoughts grew more murderous, because a man was standing before him on the stairs, poised as if he'd been coming down them.

Stopping short, he glared at his the unexpected visitor, all hateful and dangerous.

"Stefan?" he demanded.

* * *

_Maybe I shouldn't have left them alone._

Elena was pacing again. Stefan and Damon were back at the Boarding House, and she had slipped out the door when Damon had arrived home. She'd shot him a meaningful look just as she pulled away- _listen to him. Hear him out. Or else._

She'd driven to the graveyard, and now she was pacing back and forth, wondering what was happening.

_They'd better be talking. Or I might consider staking Damon... because he would be the one to shut down. No question. _

Just as her pacing had begun to wear a path in the grass under a tall oak, Elena's phone rang. As she mildly wondered whether she was breaking some unspoken rule about stomping over someone's grave, she flipped the phone open.

"Hello?"

"It's safe to come home now, Little Red Riding Hood. Just had to make sure that Gramps here wasn't the Big Bad Wolf," Damon quipped on the other line.

She paused before replying. "I'll be there soon." She shut the phone before he could reply, already speeding through the graveyard (with her unnatural speed). When she turned the key in the ignition, she braced herself for what she might find at home. _My home, _she proclaimed silently.

She wouldn't let either of them ruin what she'd been building there. Her new life, with Damon, would have to start sooner than she had been expecting. The speech that she'd been going over and over in her head would have to be spoken soon.. Because whether he would admit it or not, Damon would be questioning her now, questioning them.

And of course Elena knew that she would have to have the right answers to those questions, because the only one she really wanted was him.

* * *

**So what'd you think? **

**And again, I'm sorry it took so long... Cursed school. *huffs curses under breath***

**Well, reviews are like crack to me- and you should so support my addiction :)**

**-WhereIsYourHeart10**


	7. Mistakes Become Regrets

**Well here we go! Another chapter- this one doesn't really answer all our questions, but it definitely is exciting ;)**_

* * *

___

Don't let go  
I've wanted this far too long  
Mistakes become regrets  
I've learned to love abuse  
Please show me what I'm looking for.

_-_Show Me What I'm Looking For, Carolina Liar

* * *

Elena begrudgingly started making her way back to the Boarding House. She tried to imagine how to start the conversation that she had to have with Damon. How could she tell him that she was ready? Ready for a relationship, ready to dive into whatever it was that they had?

She could only picture his all-knowing smirk, no doubt teasing her about... all of it.

_Ugh, of course I want your body, I want to touch you every minute of every day. I want to kiss you in front of everyone, claim you as mine. Make you spend your time with me, for as long as I wanted you. _

She chuckled out loud dryly. _Like that would go over well._ She'd never hear the end of it.

Perhaps she should communicate her intentions... without words? Her eyebrow shot up, and she couldn't help but grow warm under the speculation that soon she would be caught up in all kinds of wordless acts. And maybe a few words thrown in too.

_God, how embarrassing!_

Her thoughts had apparently grown too distracted, because she narrowly avoided colliding into a stopped car. It was parked at a weird angle by the sidewalk. And then she recognized a local man, a few years older than her, no doubt home from college. He was looking under his hood, and then she saw the bits of smoke pouring out of it.

She decided to pull over and be neighborly. She glided just in front of him, and leaning her head out the window, called, "You need some help?"

Without turning, the guy, Dan-something, hollered back, "I think the engine's over-heated!"

She looked behind her, scanning the road. It was almost dusk, and most of the people on this side street were elderly. She might as well stick around.

Popping open her door, she slid out, saying, "You can use my phone to call someone, if you'd like."

When her voice hit him, he turned immediately with a curious stare. She couldn't help noticing that he wasn't bad-looking. Might have even caught her attention, before... everything else. She just smiled at him, as he recovered, no doubt taken aback by who had stopped to help.

"Hey... you're, um, the Gilbert kid, right?" he smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, Elena." She started to move towards him when his scent washed over her, and then suddenly the pounding in his chest collided with her ear drums.

She manages to catch his, "I'm Dan, I live just down the road. Our parents used to go to each other's barbeque's and stuff..." But the main thing Elena notices is how mouth-watering Dan smells. And without knowing it, she's stepping closer to this man she'd known from afar for years, ready to rip his throat out.

Elena sends him the very best of alluring smiles. She holds out her hand as if to shake his, and when his _very _human skin touches hers, she pulls him in automatically.

And just like that, Elena is drinking from the neck of a guy named Dan whose car had broken down.

* * *

When Elena finally calms herself down, she's leaning against her car, her jacket askew, and her mouth and shirt covered in blood. The faint heartbeat of Dan resounds on the ground beside her. She pushes his limp arms off of her body, shaking with adrenaline and power.

_What have I done?_

She tells herself that everything is going to be okay. He wasn't dead. All she had to do was compel him. But then when she pokes his side, fresh blood still flowing from his newly acquired neck wound, he doesn't respond. She knows he's alive, but he's definitely unconscious.

She scrambles farther away from him, thankful for the dark cover of night that had descended. The two cars provide a shield to the street, and directly on the other side were a wide array of trees. The nearest house was a couple hundred feet away. She winces when she realizes that if the guy had screamed, her situation would become much more complicated.

Elena tries to move the guy again, with her foot this time, gently as possible, and he still doesn't respond. She can't leave him here on the side of the road, in the middle of the night. It would definitely raise suspicions, and that was all this town needed more of.

_Oh, God. I'm gonna have to tell Damon. And Stefan. Shit._

To buy herself time, she closes Dan's hood. She puts the truck in Neutral, and guides it closer to the edge, a perfect parallel park. Her inhuman strength makes it faster, and she even has to stop herself from pushing it too far. Then she removes the keys, locks it up, and pockets them. She pulls her car away from Dan's truck, so her back end is directly beside the still unconscious form of the man. Looking around her, she decides quickly that she would have to take care of him until she could compel him. She lifted his heavy form like a child lifting a china doll, careful not to move his neck too much.

Elena has to hold her breath, and focus on anything else except the still beating heart in her arms, and when she finally fits his long frame in the trunk, she shuts the door with a slam. She takes a few shaky breaths, then steels herself for the no-doubt merciless questions she would be receiving when she arrived home. With another man. Whom she had almost killed. What a terrible mistake.

_Damn it._

**Muahaha! I made Elena almost kill a guy! **

**A****nd you know who's gonna love it? **

**Damon :)**

**-WhereIsYourHeart10**


	8. Give My Regards to Soul and Romance

**So today I just really didn't feel like going to school- I had a headache, and I was a bit nautious. So I called my mom up (who had left for work already) and pretty much played that it was worse than it was, and now I'm staying at home, reading some fanfiction, catching up on some TV, and otherwise having a wonderful day. Was that terribly wrong of me? I don't feel guilty ;)**

**But anyways, here's another update for you! Hope you like it! :)**

**I'd also like to say a thanks to those special readers who were a part of this story from the beginning. Thank you to SoUtHeRnBeLLe706 (my biggest fan! haha), Bomba-Fae, and Vee Baby, who liked this story as a one-shot, and encouraged me to make it more! Your reviews and comments are a great pleasure to have, since you're the ones who wanted this. Thanks so much *hugs***

**And thanks also to the other reviewers and readers who caught on after it was a multi-chapter story, and then continued to support it! You're the best! :D**

_

* * *

_

_Will your system be all right,_  
_When you dream of home tonight?  
There is no message we're receiving,  
Let me know, is your heart still beating?_

-Human, The Killers

* * *

As she pulled into the driveway that marked the beginnings of the Salvatore property, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _How do I even begin to explain? Yeah, hey guys, sorry about all the drama- but we'll have to talk about that later. I have a dying man in my trunk. _

Elena groaned. _This is gonna suck._

So she just pulled up in front of the side garage, and put the car in park. Turning the keys off, she slid out the door. _I should probably check on Dan..._

* * *

Damon knew he heard Elena's Prius, so he began to wonder why she hadn't come in yet. He also knew that Stefan had heard the car pull up, hidden away in his upstairs room. _Probably writing in that diary of his. Or, excuse me, journal. _A smirk ghosted across his face, and he mildly wondered if Stefan knew how often Damon had picked it up for some lite afternoon reading.

He heard timid footsteps on the porch, and then the front door slid open softly, and shut again quickly. Before he could call out a no doubt sarcastic greeting, Elena appeared in front of him. He would have remarked about how long she was gone, but then he saw her face. She looked scared, and maybe,_ guilty?_

"Elena?" he questioned, with a quirk of his eyebrow.

She cleared her throat, looking around the room. _Searching for Stefan?_

"Look, everything is alright, you know," he added tiredly.

"No, no- its not that," she whispered, with a tone of real exhaustion.

Then he was suddenly right in front of her, his arms lightly grasping her shoulders. "What happened?" he demanded.

She shook her head, then with a nod of her head, indicated up the stairs. _Oh. She doesn't want Stefan to hear. Hmm... wonder what she's got on her mind? _he couldn't help but question in his head, with images of Elena filling his mind.

"Can I talk to you outside, please?" she enunciated each word carefully.

As he nodded, and she turned suddenly, already at the front door before he could have blinked, he faintly smelled blood. Fresh blood, though he couldn't see any on her. _What?_

Damon could do nothing but follow, curiosity taking over.

* * *

She fought to control her nerves, All she could picture was Damon laughing at her, or looking at her in disgust, realizing she wasn't the innocent Elena that he had wanted. She tried to tell herself that was stupid, incomprehensible even. Damon would always love her. He had said so.

And she had to tell him she loved him too. _Once we get past this little... speed bump._

"So what's the problem here, Elena?" he questions gallantly, his eyes questioning.

Elena's not sure how to say what she should, so she simply opens the trunk. As the door slides open, the both of them are hit by the smell of freshly spilt blood, and Elena flinches. Damon's mouth opens for a moment in surprise, but then when he confirms that he hears the faint heart beat, he turns to her with a look that she can't describe completely.

An older sibling, catching a younger sibling in a bad act; a cat eating a canary; getting your meal free at a restaurant because the waiter spills champagne on you.

She knows then, that when he pulls his face back into seriousness, and his eyes are twinkling, that perhaps she should have gone to the other brother with this. Even though it might have set him off on a killing rampage. Anything must be better than Damon's look of gloating that had just possessed his face.

"Stop for a bite on your way home, dear?" he asks, his tone dripping with satire, but his face reveals nothing.

"His car was broke down, and it was getting dark... His mother babysat me when I was younger... I- well, I wanted to help him out. Then he stepped too close, and before I knew what was happening..." then she gestures at the unconscious figure in her trunk.

Then Damon steps towards her, invading her personal space, his eyes flashing. "Couldn't help yourself?" he whispers out, his voice surprisingly soft.

"Damon, I- damn it, I need your help!" she scream-whispers back.

He chuckles darkly, then he takes both of her hands in his own, and he holds them between the small space between their bodies. Then he sighs, looks at her seriously, and says, "I know this doesn't necessarily make sense, but- you're _only_ human, Elena."

Then its Elena's turn to sigh, and then she's grasping onto his hands with apprehension in her eyes. "I was so worried that I'd killed him. His heart, it was beating so strong, faster when he saw me up close, and then all I could smell was the blood."

"No need to explain, I know this story. I've been the main character so many times, I can't even begin to list them all. Sometimes, this happens," he assures her solemnly.

He's about to touch her face and make her look at him in the eyes when Stefan's voice rings out, "Hey Elena."

Both of them turn to look at him approaching, Elena's face guilty and scared, Damon's annoyed and frustrated.

But as Stefan reaches both of them, his nostrils flinch open, and then he's taking a step back. "What- what's going on?"

Before Damon or Elena can stop him, he's in front of the trunk, staring down at the bloody mess. Surprisingly, he only turns back to them with questions in his eyes. His eyes, though slightly darker, weren't that much affected by the sight or smell.

Damon groans, and answers the earlier question. "It would seem that Elena here finally lost her innocence." Both of the other's heads snap up, glaring at him, and he quickly tacks on with good humor, "You know, with the whole human-attacking thing."

Elena growls, and returns her attention to the still-alive body of Dan. "We should probably move him inside. It's getting colder; we need to make him comfortable until he wakes up, so I can compel him."

"Um, excuse me? 'I'? No way are you compelling him! I doubt your strong enough yet," Damon argues.

"But I just drank human blood, fresh!" Elena insists, but then she realizes the gravity of the statement, and just goes back to looking guilty.

So Damon sighs, and tries a different tactic. "Allow me to take care of this for you. I'm a bit more experienced with these things."

"I'd say," Stefan says under his breath, but his words can be heard- super-sensitive hearing was a gift they _all _shared now.

"Stefan," Elena just says tiredly. "Not now. I have to clean up my mess."

Then she's gone in a fraction of a second, and back before Stefan or Damon can decide what to say to that.

She has some type of cleaner bottle in one hand, a large sponge in the other.

Sheepishly, she looks between them, asking, "Would you mind taking him inside? Lay him on the couch, I guess." Damon barks a laugh, Stefan looks upset, and they both can only obey. Damon moves to pick up the man, but Elena says, "Stefan, lift his shoulders! Or well, I guess maybe... Damon should be near... the head." She looks at him apologetically, but shrugs her shoulders, because she knows that she was but a slave to the hunger that coursed through him too.

Stefan sighs a weighted breath, then he's gently lifting the feet and legs of the man, with Damon following, his hands grasping the shoulders. Elena notices that both men are holding their breath, and she holds in a chuckle herself when she also sees that both of them have the same uncomfortable look on their faces. _Though Damon still manages to look amused, _she thinks.

_This is going to be a long night._

**Must I say it? ...Review please, and thank you (:**


	9. You Really Got Me Bad

_You say your faith is shaken, and you may be mistaken  
You keep me wide awake and waiting for the sun  
I'm desperate and confused, so far away from you  
I'm getting there, I don't care where I have to run_

_-_Misery, Maroon 5

________

____

_

* * *

_

This is getting simply ridiculous.

Damon is thinking to himself, his foot bouncing in impatience. He grumbles out loud for good measure, but his two companions choose to ignore him. _They both heard that. They can't act like they don't have super-hearing._

This time he clears his throat again, looking pointedly at the main focus of his frustration, which was surprisingly not his brother, sitting across from him. No, this time he was frustrated with the beautiful woman beside him.

She finally turned her head away from the pictures of various places Stefan had photographed when he'd been sent into combat. Her eyes rested on his, a twinkle in her eyes, and she responded with the same excitement from the conversation previous still in her eyes. "Damon?" she said playfully.

"Hate to interrupt this chummy history lesson, but shouldn't we be getting your snack back to it's home?" he drawled.

"It's mildly entertaining- but I've always been more of a music person," he says in mock-seriousness, then leans back in his seat at the kitchen table. "You know who else I bet likes music? The unconscious guy on our couch."

This time, Elena heaves a frustrated sigh. "Are you ever going to let me forget that I nearly-killed someone? Isn't it being hypocritical to keep pointing it out, Damon? Seeing as you've killed, oh, maybe hundreds of people. Thousands? So shut it, and go get some blankets and pillows, then."

He looks at her in a mixture of amusement, shock, and respect. Then a devilish gleam lights his eye. And before she knows what's happening, he's saying, "Finally planning our rendezvous, at another location?" His eyebrows are wriggling, and then her mouth goes dry, because she's hyper-aware of both brothers watching her reaction.

Elena glances at Stefan for a long second, and a silent exchange seems to take place between them. Damon is just starting to regret the remark, when she looks at him, full-on. "Now is definitely not the place to discuss that. As you said before, there's an unconscious guy on our couch." She's smirking, knowing that she used his own line against him.

Then she turns her attention to Stefan, asking, "Would you go find some Tylenol or something? There should be some left here. He might be in, um, pain- when he wakes up." Elena smiles, just a hint of awkwardness, and Stefan nods.

Then, it's just Damon and Elena in the kitchen. The multiple pictures are spread out in front of them, and Elena is staring hard at them, but not like she's actually looking at the sweeping European details. More like she's thinking, contemplating something, and Damon mildly wonders if it's him.

He's staring at the side of her face as she gets up from beside him. She avoids his gaze, but then she surprises him by circling the table, and placing herself in Stefan's former seat.

Elena takes a deep, unneeded breath, then seals her gaze on his. He pushes his chair back about a foot, then sits his feet up on the table, crossing his legs. His face screams nonchalance, but his body language seems tenser, so she knows that he knows what she's about to say.

Or has some mild idea at least.

_Who knows? I might surprise him._

* * *

"This isn't about Stefan," she starts, her voice strong. "It's about you and me. Me and you. Us. Or, whatever itis that we have."

She's gaging his reaction, but his face is stone, almost like he's playing cards, and he refuses to give away what his hand might be.

"These past few months have been glorious; you've been giving me space, which I appreciate. Up until now, that is. Lately you're stormy, your remarks are flippant, and you still spend time with me, but I think it's only because you can't keep yourself away for too long."

There's a brief flicker of something in his eyes, but she presses on.

"This is my fault, of course. For pushing you away, then pulling you in, then pushing you away, and on and on. You are wary of me, wary of relationships in general, probably. History hasn't been kind to you, and maybe that's why you hate it so much..." She tries to read him again, but he's only staring at her, like he's trying to do the same.

"But, anyway, the point of all this is- well, I needed to see Stefan. In order to quell some of my fears, find out where I stood with him. And now..." she trails off, suddenly dropping her gaze to her lap, where she's playing with her hands.

Softer this time, she finishes. "I'm ready."

Two words. Three syllables. And he stops his unnecessary habit of breathing for a moment, just to listen to her calm breaths a few feet away. He moves his feet off the table, dropping them to the floor quietly. He'd been so desperate for her to see that he wouldn't leave. So confused by her actions conflicting her words. And now, now it was all over.

When he stood to his feet, he moved slow, even for a human, circling the table the opposite way she had. When he's closer to her, at the end of the table to her left, she moves her chair out, ready to stand. But she stops when he drops to his knees right in front of her. He's in a kneeling position, his back straight, and all he does is grab both her hands between his own, looking at her for a long minute.

He pulls her hands to his mouth, a soft kiss to both of the backs of them.

He's about to open his mouth, but then they both hear Stefan's footsteps on the stairs, and instead he sighs a heavy, but peaceful sigh.

"Forever," he reminds her.

He would have gone to the ends of the earth, but she ran after him, met him half-way somewhere. He knew this, this was it. _No more misery._

* * *

**Oh, my lovely readers! The last chapter got the most reviews out of all of them, and I was so happy :) **

**Can we beat it with this one? I know it's shorter, but it has definite substance. Just saying. **

**Look out for the next one, I think you all will love it! Hugs&Kisses, WhereIsYourHeart10.**


	10. I Feel More Alive Than Ever

**Haven't done this in a while, but all properties belong to the respective owners, CW and all that. The song is one of my very personal favorites; it has special meaning for me, even though I think about a certain someone *cough, jerk, cough* when I listen to it. I still can't deny the genius of Paramore, and it will always have a special place in my heart... wow, come to think of it, that's what the loser said when he lied to me and broke up with me. The whole "you'll always have a special place in my heart" crap... Damn, this has nothing to do with the story! ****Ignore my ramblings. ****So yeah, enjoy and read on. (:**

_

* * *

_

_If I let you love me,  
Be the one adored,  
Would you go all the way,  
Be the one I'm looking for?_

-Adore, Paramore

* * *

When Damon pulls his Mustang up beside the abandoned truck on the side of the road, he glances in his rear view mirror at his brother, who manages to look just a tad uncomfortable with the situation. Elena is staring out the window in the passenger seat, her hands twiddling nervously, like when she'd been human. She starts fingering her _lapis lazuli_ stone absentmindedly. He admires the curve of her neck for a long moment, before putting the car in park.

"The sun's close to rising; let's get this over with, shall we?" he asks with a slightly annoyed tone.

Elena nods, then she's out before he can blink, pulling the Dan-somebody-or-other out from beside Stefan in the back. She cradles him gently, careful with her strength. His heart beat is much stronger than a few hours previous, so she feels more confident in their plan.

"Stefan?" she asks, who comes to stand beside her, and then Damon is leaning against his hood watching them. Stefan holds the man up, setting him on his feet, supporting his weight, like he's holding a doll. "Now," Elena says.

Stefan pinches the man's shoulder hard enough to stir him, but his eyes still don't open, even as his breathing grows louder.

"Just slap him or something," Damon says, annoyed.

Elena glares at him, but it's not _completely _hateful.

She leans closer to the man's ear, then breaths into it before she says, "Wake up."

The man stirs some more, and then his eyes are open, staring at her with curiosity. And then all of them wait for the recognition to happen. A few seconds pass.

Then his eyes are frightened, the eyes of an animal being trapped by a slaughter.

She nods at Stefan, still holding the man up, and he grips his shoulders tighter as Dan squirms.

"Shhh, I'm not going to hurt you." Her voice is honey, and the man grows calm almost immediately. "Your engine acted up, driving home. I pulled over to help you, and my two friends helped fix your truck. I invited you out for drinks; I thought you were cute, and you liked me. But my two friends reminded me I had to get home, so I'm getting back in my car, and I promise to look you up in the phone book."

She glances at Damon, who's half amused, and half annoyed with the story.

"You're hopeful, but you'll meet someone else, someone better. So you don't worry about it. Your neck got wounded when you were burned from accidentally hitting the hood of your truck. It hurts, and you're tired. So you'll go home, take a bath, and be good as new after some sleep."

The man stopped squirming long ago, and Stefan lets go cautiously. The man stands on his own two feet, waiting for further instruction. Elena bites her lip, looking again at the burn on Dan's neck, caused by her own curling iron.

She feels terribly guilty, so she looks again at the man. "Live a good life."

He nods slightly, then she orders him back into his truck. "Drive home."

They all watch as Dan drives towards his house, the sun just beginning to rise behind them. Damon is still leaning against the hood, Stefan standing off to one side, and Elena stands a few feet away from both of them. She stares hard at the ground, then looks up at both of them.

"Did I do okay?" she asks timidly.

"A bit dramatic, don't you think? You thought he was cute? 'Live a good life'?" Damon bites out, but it's laced with humor. She glares at him again, but this time she giggles a little.

"Everyone deserves a happy ending, Damon," she says solemnly. At this she turns to Stefan, who is staring at the both of them with sadness and amusement, a strange combination.

She steps forward, capturing Stefan in a tight embrace, one that seemed familiar, but it was entirely different now. She whispers, "Goodbye, Stefan. Write, or visit. Or let us know when you settle, and we'll come visit you." The man in her arms has tears in his eyes then, and Damon is unbelievably jealous, despite it being a _goodbye. (Which he'll never admit, thank you.)_

Stefan nods, then pulls himself out of her arms. He glances at Damon mildly, any traces of tears gone. The look is one of observation, like he's sizing up his own brother, wondering if he's good enough, yet again, for this woman before him. Damon has his arms crossed, a frown on his face, but he nods at the silent question.

_Yes, I'll take care of her. I'm not good enough, but I'll take care of her._

Stefan kisses Elena on the forehead, pats down her hair, and then steps back out of her hug completely.

She looks at Damon then, a silent promise in her eyes, and he forgets every hint of jealousy with that one glance. She smiles fully, and he grins crookedly back, but only for a second. And then she smiles at Stefan warmly, nods, then disappears. The two vampires catch her running, but to the outside world, it was only a gust of wind kicking up the leaves on the ground.

"Brother," Stefan says quietly.

Damon turns to Stefan then, seriousness covering him. His stance isn't exactly uncomfortable, but he still looks at Stefan with tired eyes. "How did she know you were leaving?"

"I told her. I asked her to be careful, told her I was happy for her... and you. She was very gracious with me, Damon."

Damon sighs, pushing himself off the hood. "She wasn't the only one, I think."

Stefan remains silent, crossing his arms this time, a stance of acceptance.

"My brother, I- I hope you find what you're looking for," Damon manages, his voice somewhat awkward, but the words are sincere.

"Me too," Stefan answers. "I hope you've found what you were looking for...?"

The question hangs in the air; Damon can almost see it between them, the silent implication that Damon might not be happy once he finally has what he wants.

But he answers simply. "I have."

Then Stefan sighs, resigned, and puts his hand out in front of him, his shoulders squared.

Damon finds it hard to push his own hand out and shake it, but he finds the strength somehow. They stay connected for a moment, and then Damon pulls his hand away. He puts his hands behind him, and holds them together, a movement like a habit, something he did when he felt uncomfortable in his human days.

"Goodbye, Damon. I hope to see you again. Take care."

Damon nods, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Goodbye, Stefan."

Then just like that, Stefan is running, headed off to a place that only his feet seem to know, and he's leaving behind all that he knew. He hopes there's more out there.

* * *

Elena is sitting on the couch, her feet tucked underneath her, her eyes shifting between some television show on, and the door. She has stopped her breathing, hoping to hear any sounds that approach. Twice, she's gotten up to look out the window to the garage, half-thinking she somehow missed Damon's car.

Each time she was disappointed again, left with all her nervous energy.

After the talk they'd had just a couple hours before, she realized what was next. And for some unexplainable reason she was scared. Of course, she knew that she was probably being silly. It's not like she was some quivering young girl, a virgin or something.

_But this- this was a long time coming._ This was the result of months of flirting, heated stares, a few passionate kisses. And even longer, jealousy on both their parts, back when she was human. Unexpected lust, eventual affection, and a gradual understanding.

She was worried because she didn't want to let down any expectations that Damon might have had. Because he undoubtedly had plenty of experience in _that _department. She cringed at the thought.

After all, she'd only been with two people her whole life, human or not. Matt had been her first, and a few quick nights every now and then didn't exactly spell _lioness. _Stefan had been pure affection, coupled with a dose of lust, and she trusted him completely. It had been blissful, but he had taken it slow, guided her through it all. She had never known really what to do, except for the obvious.

She ran her palm down her face in frustration. _This is so terribly ridiculous. I can't take this. Maybe I should fake a headache. Can a vampire break out in hives?_

Of course she'd read those stupid Harlequin romances that were a dime a dozen. They always spoke of passion-filled eyes and stroking fingers and heated moans. But they never exactly gave a step-by-step lesson on how to be, well, pleasing. _Oh, god._

She's so caught up in the thoughts that she almost misses the roar of the Mustang.

Sighing, Elena pulls her feet out from underneath her, then sets them on the floor as she moves to stand. She takes shaky breaths, trying to pull her emotions together. She runs her fingers through her straight hair, sniffs herself, then shakes her head at her stupidity.

When Damon actually enters the house, Elena's eyes are wary of his movements toward her, all the while pulling a tight smile.

He looks at her with a questioning glance, his head cocked sideways, and she's struck with the way it reminds her of something. And then she almost gasps aloud when she realizes that it is nearly the same look he had when he first met her. Except he was much angrier then, a degree cockier; and she'd been relatively innocent from everything, covered in the sadness of her parent's deaths.

But then he smiles his signature smirk, taking in her nervousness easily. "Should we put on some Barry Manilow?" he teases suggestively. His eyes are twinkling with humor, and she wants to punch him in the arm.

So she does, and this time she's smug when he rubs it, like it is tender. But his face has mock-hurt, and he gains the upper-hand when he guides her to the couch, pushing her down gently.

She is suddenly more nervous than before, if that was even possible. He sits beside her, and his stare grows hot on her face. She avoids his gaze by toying with the fringe of the throw pillow beside her.

He tries to lighten the mood by laughing at her shaking fingers. "Nervous about something?"

Elena sharply glares at him, saying, "You know exactly why I'm nervous."

"Oh, really?" he feigns innocence. "Is this about that talk earlier?"

She swallows dryly, then clears her throat. She decides to tell him exactly what she's thinking. "I'm not sure how to proceed."

Damon shakes his head at her, his crooked grin shining. He reaches for her hands to still their frantic picking at the gold fringe. When his hands cover hers, she looks at him softly. He smiles at her, a genuine smile, and then she can't help but smile back.

He places his hand to the side of her face, and his thumb is lightly running down her cheek. Her eyes close automatically, and she knew if her heart could beat it would be racing. "It's not overly complicated, Elena, dear."

She nods, his palm now resting on the side of her face, his fingers in her hair. Her eyes are still closed, and before she can stop herself, she blurts, "I love you."

She flinches outwardly when she feels his hand drop from her face, but then her fears are smothered as it comes back, joined by the other on the other side of her face. His hands move deeper into her hair, and his fingers are tangled behind her ears. "Open your eyes," he asks softly, his breath fanning her face hotly.

When she pulls the lids open, he's looking at her earnestly, his smile ghosting across his mouth. "And I love you," he says to her, their faces inches from each other. His hands run down her face, pausing on her neck, then grasp her shoulders. "I'm going to kiss you now," he informs her huskily.

She can only gaze at him, watch his eyes appraise her slightly open lips. When her own eyes drop to his lips pressed together, firm in line, he pulls her closer, and they connect.

It starts off slow and devastating; like melting caramel, and both of them feel the fire, the electricity. Every other kiss they'd shared (_Five, _Elena thinks somewhere in the back of her mind,) had been frantic and rushed. But this, this was slow, each taking their time.

His lips took possession of her own, and he nibbled at her bottom lip tenderly. By this time, his hands were on her waist, and she couldn't control her own hands from weaving behind his neck, trying to pull him closer to her. They both felt when the kisses pace changed; as soon as she ran her hands through his hair, as soon as his hands were locked behind her small waist. Then the slow-burning became the familiar fire, flames licking at every inch of their bodies.

Damon bit her lip and she scratched his neck when his tongue took her mouth. Then both of their bodies were swiveled completely facing each other, with Damon's one leg tucked under him, and Elena supporting herself on her knees. She moved upward, putting herself just a bit higher than Damon's sitting form, and his face was upwards.

He took her by surprise when his hands pulled her down with him as he hovered over her. Finally, they both broke their kiss, Elena laying flat on the couch, her hair splayed on the throw pillow. Lips swollen, fingers pulling at his shirt, Damon resisted the urge to kiss her again, if only for a moment to stare at her enrapturing beauty. He put his weight on his knees and elbows, and then he straddled her waist, careful even though he didn't need to be.

And then he pulled her back up to him, their mouths fighting, tangling in a never-ending dance.

All thoughts of nervousness and apprehension were long forgotten by both of them (Y_es, Damon was scared too, but he would never, ever tell anyone that. Except maybe Elena.). _

The sun just having risen, the room was bright as they explored each other, and when Damon carried her to his bed after a few more languid kisses, Elena's only thoughts of how they had forever together.

And she knew that when she let him love her, in _every _way, that he would be the one she'd been looking for all along.

* * *

**So here we have the moment that we've all been waiting for! ;) It was a long time coming, just like Elena had thought, and it was always an inevitability. The show just doesn't admit it to themselves. *shakes head at stupidity***

**And I hope you enjoy that I updated a lot sooner than last time. I actually wrote it in the same weekend as the last chapter, but I wanted to put some space between the two so people can read that first and digest it. Maybe even build up the anticipation for this one!**

**I hope its everything you wanted, and I'm even nervous that I might have ruined your expectations, just like Elena! Please let me know, and soothe my fears haha. You guys are the best! :)**


	11. You're Gonna Be The One That Saves Me

**Well readers, this is the final chapter of _I Wouldn't Mind It At All_. I've been working on this one for awhile; but there were some definite obstacles in the way! First, my computer contracted some type of virus, and my hardrive wouldn't function normally. For a while there, I thought all my private works were lost! But I was able to save most of the data to a jumpdrive. And then, I got a new computer for Christmas, and have been typing and editing away ever since. This was the first story that I had real motivation to finish. It was originally a one-shot, and with your encouragement, it flourished into so much more. Thank you for the support, the reviews, and the love that I received for this piece. I hope that the ending is what you wanted it to be. This was the end I had pictured from the beginning; so this is how it will be. Thanks so much, and without further ado, Chapter 11, _You're Gonna Be The One That Saves Me_. **

**Much love to you all! xoxo, WhereIsYourHeart10**

_

* * *

_

_And all the roads we have to walk are winding,  
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding  
There are many things that I would like to say to you,  
But I don't know how.  
'Cause maybe you're gonna be the one that saves me  
And after all you're my Wonderwall._

_-Wonderwall, Oasis_

* * *

Damon's eyes were unmistakably mischievous when she first opened her own. Elena rearranged herself in the passenger seat of the Mustang they were traveling in. "What are you so happy about?" she asked him. Damon managed to pull a more serious look to his face as he drove down the dusty, desert highway.

Staring straight ahead, he answered effortlessly, "Nothing, just happy to be with you."

She looked at him in suspicion. After months of blissful existence with little to distract her, she'd grown accustomed to the way he acted and what each look on his face meant. This look meant he was up to something, she was sure of it.

"And we're going to see Stefan finally?" The question hung in the air; she was testing his reactions, seeing if he would give away whatever secret he had locked away.

"True, I'm happy to see my little brother and see him settled," he said in his best gentlemanly voice.

Okay, she couldn't take it any longer. "What are you up to?"

He laughed his deep, throaty laugh, the one that made even her toes happier. "_Muah?_ Up to something? Dear Elena, you can't be insinuating that I'm up to something dastardly!"

"Well that's exactly what I'm insinuating. We're going to see Stefan in Goldfield! What's got that look on your face? The cat that ate the canary one, that you should trademark?"

He feigned insult. "I am a perfectly respectable, reformed man. As you should know, since you insisted that we become 'good people'. Bleh. But other than the occasional break-in for some of our favorite beverage, I am the picture of innocence."

She huffed. _Okay, so he won't give up too easily. Maybe I should switch tactics?_

"Could you pull over? I'd like to get out and run a little, stretch my legs a bit." She put on her pleading eyes, and she knew he was no match for it.

This time he sighed, but he looked at her in curiosity, no doubt wondering about her sudden change in mood.

When he pulled over near a large clump of cactuses, she took temporary leave from her plan to ask, "Where are we?"

"In the desert; you know, sand, cactus, snakes. It's the lovely allure of Nevada, Elena."

She rolled her eyes, before she re-posed her question. "No, I mean, what city are we close to? For some reason, I don't feel like we're heading in the right direction."

Damon silently cursed the vampires' uncanny sixth sense for location, but continued on under the premise of perfect innocence.

"A few hours away from Goldfield," he said, not quite lying.

When he turned his back to her to face the sun, slowly beginning its dissent down, she finished formulating the plan to get him to talk.

As an older, more experienced vampire, he should have been able to notice her approach from behind; in fact, he was alerted to her presence. But what he hadn't counted on was what she was actually doing. Then, just when he was going to spit some inane sexual comment, she had him pinned to the gravelly sand below.

His face was only amused, however, as she stared down at him. Well, more like glared.

Elena's entire plan hinged on the art of the surprise, and as his gaze turned one-part curious, another-part amused, she attacked.

Out of nowhere, she was leaning her head down beside him, her breath caressing his ear, and the easy-flowing moment turned charged, a palpable tension immediate. In the back of his thoughts, he was grateful that the times of this kind of tension were _allowed. _It still amazed him that he'd gotten the girl.

Damon remained lying still underneath her, resisting the urge to wind his arms around her. Within seconds of her leaning down, she was humming that song that she liked; the one she swore described him.

"You love me?" she whispered, questioned him.

Then she raised back up, and her face was passive, her eyes carefully guarded.

That's when he became suspicious. So he tucked those thoughts away and answered honestly. "Yes, always." It was a low voice that he knew sent shivers down her spine.

Unperturbed, she determined to ignore _that _voice, for once.

"Then tell me where we are going!" she ordered, her voice slightly hysterical sounding, but only because she was trying not to shag her boyfriend (soul mate, lover, whatever) senseless.

He couldn't help but laugh at her serious face, and he half wanted to admit that he'd been caught. But _his _plan was supposed to be keeping her in the dark. So to hopefully distract her even more, he used his strength to flip the situation, literally.

And then she was pinned beneath him this time, and she began to grow frustrated with him. "Damon!" she cried.

"Stop! I want to know! I can obviously tell _now_ that you have something to hide. Come on, just give it up!"

But Damon only shook his head, and she tried not to notice the way his eyes shone in the desert light. Elena started to squirm beneath him, and for the life of him, it was all he could do this time not to shag her senseless.

She growled at him, albeit playfully, before pushing his chest up. Unable to make him budge, she huffed, somewhat defeated.

"Elena, Elena, Elena. What I may or may not be hiding is for me to know, and for you to possibly find out."

She rolled her eyes, and then suddenly thought of a new tactic.

Gazing into his eyes, she allowed the ever-present lust to show itself. His eyebrow quirked up at her sudden change in demeanor, internally guessing at what she was doing.

"Trying to distract me? Tsk, tsk. Bad, Elena."

Undaunted, she continued to stare at him. "Release my wrists and find out," she challenged him.

Damon paused at the idea. _Surely this is some trick. _And he wasn't dumb enough to fall for it… was he?

Slowly, testing her movements, Damon started to remove his hold on her wrists, bound to the sand. When a few seconds passed and she hadn't tried to flip him again or inflict bodily harm, he relaxed slightly, his knees still tightly clasping her waist.

She watched his face for a few moments, then slid her hand up his forearm and shoulder. She rested her palm on his left cheek for an enduringly long second, before finally making her way to the back of his neck, losing her fingers in his hair. She pulled him down to her, and he immediately knew what she wanted.

His lips found hers effortlessly, in the way that only practiced couples could achieve, his eyes sliding closed like a sacred habit.

When Elena bit his lip, Damon gasped slightly. _I knew it!_ he thought as she pushed him up and slammed him against the car door.

"Tell me," she growled. "Or I will torture you slowly."

He nearly giggled at the sight of her- her eyes were wild with desire and determination, her hair askew with bits of sand, and her clothes were rumpled. But he had the good sense not to anger her further; all outbursts of amusement would have to wait. Elena bit her lip then, slowly, dangerously.

"Okay, how about a game?" he drawled, testing her reaction.

"What?" she said incredulously, her eyebrow quirked up, much in the same manner as he usually employed.

"A guessing game," he added, his smirk firmly cemented to his face.

She sighed, pushing his body closer to the car, her grip tighter than ever. "What _do_ you mean?"

"If I give you _one_ clue, you have three guesses. And I will tell if you are hot or cold. Then you have to get in that car, shut up, and let me drive you to where we are going."

Elena contemplated this; she knew he might be trying to trick her, throw her off the trail. But she was dangerously curious, and she had no choice. So before she could stop herself, she stepped back from him, fluidly releasing her hold, and nodding once.

"Wonderful," he said smugly, his eyes dancing in amusement.

She crossed her arms, tapping her foot for effect. "The clue?" she reminded him, after a long moment of his not-so-subtle triumphant grin.

"Right, right, little miss impatient." _But damn, he was sexy when he leant against that car, his eyes practically ravishing my body._

_No! Focus!_

"Do you know where we are?" he asked her, his tone suggesting the clue was hidden in plain sight.

_This again. _"The desert." He shook his head, _no. _"The highway?" _No, _again.

"Nevada?" This time his grin indicated that this was right.

"Damon! That's _not _a good clue! This is a whole freaking state!"

He wiggled his eyebrows at her, leering at her. "And what's Nevada famous for?"

Then suddenly it dawned on her.

"No."

His grin was cocky, his eyes dancing again, and when he took her hand, she tried to shake it off as she groaned. "No! Damon! No!"

But he only laughed at her, pulling her around to her side of the car. He opened the door, bowing in a sweeping gesture. "A deal's a deal, after all."

_Damn it._

When Damon finally started the car, he began humming _Viva Las Vegas, _and she knew without a doubt where they were headed now.

* * *

The two lovers danced and laughed, grasping at each other, running around the fountain. Dazzling colors and lights paraded around them, water shooting out and adding to the effect of magic. The man splashed the woman, and then they were both in a war, giggles and shouts of exclamation at the cold water. Each of them were content in this effortless game. All around them, street performers and drunk, happy people made shouts of noise; but this couple were only drunk on each other. Eventually, the man caught the girl's hand and kissed her deeply, and then twirled her in a dance of olden days. They were content, and happy with just each other, even in this city of searching for more. It was a contrast; and it was fresh and new. Everything that had led them to each other, down this road, had been worth it.

They had saved each other. It was beautiful.

The End


End file.
